Visit to Norway (Part 2)

Continued...


On Monday 17th July, the Gurdwara Sahib organised a trip to a "Fishing and Hunting Museum" (which showed old Norwegian history) for all the elders and children participating in the camp. It was an unforgetable trip! :)


Afterwards everyone went outside to the Museum's park. It had a few rides and beauitful scenary. It was good to see kids enjoying themselves. In this photo we are sitting on the see-saw. The Gurdwara Raagi Jatha also came on the trip. They joined in the fun.


In the park, the aunty jee's and youngsters prepared sandwiches and we all had lunch.


This Mata jee was participated in the camp. She was so chaRdi kalaa. Every time we saw her we got so much energy from her. She was always happy and smiling and vibrated positive vibrations. In this photo Mata jee is enjoying the swings in the park.


After lunch all the young campers were divided into groups and we prepared small sketches/dramas on issues relating to Sikh children. We had about 15 minutes to prepared and then we presented it on a stage in the park. Some of the dramas were very very good!


When we got back to the Gurdwara in the evening, the children performed their drama sketches again for their parents to see. I was surprised that the children were confident and didn't get shy. The parents were pleased and everyone enjoyed the dramas.


On the last day of the camp a Darbaar Sahib workshop was held for the the under 10's age group. They were very excited to see Guru Sahib and understand more about the maryada (conduct) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee.


The last day Diwaan with all Sangat, children and parents, participating in singing the theme shabad.


Special Thanks

During our stay the Sangat gave us a lot of pyaar and satkaar. The sangat were chaRdi kalaa. The house where we stayed, the aunty and uncle jee were so nice. May Guru Sahib bless them with Gursikhi Jeevan and blessings of Naam.


This is a photo with Sumeet Singh bhaji. He is so chaRdi kalaa. He helped us with the camp and did loads of seva! It was great having his sangat for the week.


Also Mandeep Singh bhaji who has been living in Norway for 2 years now. He helped us to manage the under 10s. Again he was a very chaRdi kalaa Gursikh.


May Guru Sahib keep all the Norway Sangat in chaRdi kalaa and may they remain firm in their Sikhi sidq.

Visit to Norway (Part 1)

As you may have noticed Daas has been away for few weeks. Last week a group of us from UK went to Oslo in Norway to hold a Gurmat Camp for parents and youngsters. We arrived in Norway on Friday 14th July in the morning. In the evening the parent’s camp was held. It was a great turn out. On the first day about 60 mothers and 20 fathers turned up. There was an ice-breaker to begin with then there was a discussion about issues parents face and what the solutions are.

The main focus was on how much time parents spend with their children. The evening concluded with Bhenji Navleen Kaur jee giving a presentation on "Rishte" (relationships) and the Guru's Wisdom in regards to building relationships with parents, children, spouse and society.

The next day, on Saturday 15th July the youngsters camp (aged 10 - 16+) began. The youngster's camp began with Ardaas and Hukamanma in Satguru Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee's hazooree (presence). The theme shabad was introduced to the campers. The shabad was:

ਸਾਜਨੜਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਾਜਨੜਾ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਖਲੋਇਅੜਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਾਜਨੜਾ ॥
saajanRaa meraa saajanRaa, nikatt khalo-i-Raa meraa saajanRaa.
Friend, my Friend - standing so near to me is my Friend!
(ang 924)
Read Full Shabad

The campers were divided in age groups. Every day the camp would begin with a morning diwaan where the theme shabad would be sung, Ardaas would be done, and a Hukamnaama would be taken and explained in simple Panjabi. Then there would be two workshops with langar in between. In the evening there would be Diwaan with Rehraas Sahib, theme shabad, folllowed by Ardaas, Hukamnaama and then Langar. Alongside the youngster's camp, Bhenji Navleen Kaur led the parent's camp. Both parents and children would meet each other during the Diwaans.

Workshops/talks were held on the following themes and topics: (1) Satguru Sri Granth Sahib jee - How to do sukhaasan, prakaash, take Hukamnaama, do Ardaas and explaining structure of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee; (2) Respecting parents and elders through sharing Saakhis about the Guru Sahibs; (3) History of first five Guru Sahibs and Guru Arjan Dev jee's Shaheedi; (4) Leadership skills - life of Guru Gobind Singh jee's life; (5) Sacrifice - reflecting and appreciating the sacrifice of our Guru Sahibs and also our parents; (6) Discussions and Q&A; (7) Communication and team work exercises; and (8) Dramas and small sketches on issues relating to the Sikh youth and Panth with a Gurmat message.

Below are some photos of the various workshops and talks:

Talk and presentation on the Sacrifices our Guru Sahibs.

Team work exercise. Groups had to build a tower. Whoever built the tallest tower was the winner. This photo is of the winning group, which had the most younger kids in it.

Self-empowering workshop for parents using the Guru's Wisdom.

Leadership workshop. Children were asked to name the best leaders and the worse leaders then in the summary the leadership skills of Dasam Pita (Tenth Father), Guru Gobind Singh jee, was explained to the children.

Darbaar Sahib workshop with the elder youngsters group. How to take a Hukamnaama was explained and everyone had opportunity to have Darshan (a glimpse) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee's angs (respected word referring to 'pages'). A lot of the youngsters had not seen what Guru Jee's saroop looks like. A summary of the structure and organisation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee was also explained.

To be continued...

France Gurmat Camp 2006

The past week has been very busy. Daas was in Paris doing seva at the annual Gurmat Camp in Paris, organised by the DASHMESH SIKH ACADEMY and Paris Sikh Sangat, at Gurdwara Singh Sabha. The camp started on Wednesday 6th July and ends on Sunday 16th July. Unfortunately I was unable to stay till the end of the camp due to another camp taking place in Norway.

The ten day camp educates children and youngsters on GURMAT WAY OF LIFE. The theme of this year’s camp was Satguru Sri Guru Arjan Dev jee's 400 YEARS SHAHEEDI DIWAS (martyrdom anniversary). Over the week over 150 young Sikhs from young as three years old to over 19 years old participated in this year’s camp. The camp involved a series of workshops and classes on Gurbaani Santhiyaa, Sikh Rehat Maryada, Vichaar (discussion) on Gurmat, Sikh History, Panjabi, Keertan, and Saakhiyaa (stories). Various sevadaars from the local Sangat, from Germany and UK taught classes, including Bhaji Kulwant Singh jee from Dudley with the Chalda-Vaheer Jatha.

The Paris Gurmat Camp is a UNIQUE CAMP. The kids were so chardikala! They had so much pyaar and enthusiasm, and it was great to see all the sangat and parents come together and help with the camp. My voice has nearly gone after talking continously for a whole week from morning to evening, however the atmosphere of the camp was brilliant and the best part was to see the children smile and enjoy themselves. Yesterday the new animation film called 'RISE OF THE KHALSA' about Baba Banda Singh jee Bahadar was shown to the children. I was moved when afterwards three children aged about six and seven years old came up to me yesterday and all three said "Bhaji, Bhaji, I am now going STOP CUTTING MY HAIR and KEEP KESH, and not eat MEAT OR EGGS anymore." Seeing them say this with pyaar and with smiles on their faces I felt so happy. I asked them "Have you asked your parents - make sure you tell them as well." The next day they came back and said they told their parents and they said its okay for them to become vegetarian and keep Kesh. Today one of them brought some material and asked me to tie a Dastaar on them. May Guru Sahib bless these children and keep them in Chardi Kalaa.

Here are some photos:

Very young children getting ready to read Nitnem Banian (daily prayers).


This is age 9-11 years old class. This was my last class I taught today before coming back to England. We shared Saakhis (stories) about Guru Sahibs and children shared their thoughts and experiences of how non-Sikh children treat them at school and what they learn from Guru jee's stories.


This is a photo of Bhaji Ranjeet Singh jee from Germany who teaches children Keertan in the camp and is a great person! He makes everyone laugh, has a great sense of humour and is a very wise GurSikh. Standing on the right-hand side of Daas is Giani Preetam Singh jee from Southall. For the week I stayed in Paris, I stayed with Giani Jee and did Sangat with them. They have a lot of Giaan and experiences and have a good sense of humour. Standing right at the end is Veer Jasveer Singh jee. He is a Chardi Kala youngster! He does great keertan, and today he read the Hukamnama in this morning's Diwaan. Sadly he was refused entry into school because he wears a Dastaar (turban).


In the evening Diwaan Gurdial Singh Uncle jee would lead Simran and then the children collectively read Rehraas Sahib da Paath. After doing Simran, Uncle jee would ask the children "WHY DO WE DO SIMRAN" and whether doing Simran is good a thing. The kids were AMAZING! All the children sitting there would collectively say "SIMRAN KARNAA BAHUT JAROOREE HAI" (doing simran is very important). Uncle jee would ask "If you don't do Simran then what do you become?" The children would shout in Panjabi "AKRIT-GHAN" (ungrateful). Uncle jee would ask, "What doe 'akrit-ghaN' mean?" And the children would shout "SABH TO GANDHAA BACHAA" (the most dirtiest child). The children's hearts are in the right place and they are so intuned when Simran starts. (I will try to upload a recording of the Simran in next week or so).


Uncle jee would ask the kids whether their parents did Simran. Some mums felt bit embarassed, when their kid put their hand up saying that they didn't do Simran. By the end of the week, the majority of the mums in the sangat had their hand up when Uncle jee asked, "Which mothers do simran". It was really INSPIRING.

Also I had an opportunity to see the building which the Paris Sangat are considering to buy and make a Khalsa School. The building is VERY BIG and VERY NICE. Please do Ardaas that Paris Sangat can raise the needed funds with Waheguru's Kirpaa and support of the Panth to buy the building so that the future of the Sikh children of France and Europe can be secured and their Sikh appearance, identity and way of life can be preserved.

Annual Gurmat Camp for 9 - 15 yr olds

The Sikh Missionary Society (UK) in Southall are holding their 29th annual Gurmat camp for Sikh students aged 9 to 15 years old. The Gurmat Camp will be taking place from Sunday 30th July to Sunday 6th August 2006 at Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadar, 106 East Park Road, Leicester. In the camp children will taught and inspired about Gurmat in detail alongside sports and games.

The objective of the camp is to introduce the Sikh way of life to the campers, bringing awareness about Sikh religion, culture and history, and to inspire them to be proud of their identity. The camp programme will include religion sessions, reading and exploring Gurbani, Nitnem, Kirtan, talks and fun and mind-stimulating workshops. Also there is a one day trip to a theme park as a treat to the children.

The camp is admission fee is £50, and for families sending more than one child the fee is £45 per person. The Sikh Missionary Society provides financial support for any families which cannot afford the camp, promoting the value of children being inspired and learning about Gurmat regardless of financial status. There are approximately 100 places, and applications will be taken up to 20th July 2006. Application forms beyond this date will not be accepted.

For further details or to obtain an application form please contact the Sikh Missionary Society (UK):

Write to:
8-10 Featherstone Road,
Southall,
Middlesex, UB2 5AA

Or

Telephone:
07949 762761

Sixth Form RE Day Talk (Part 2)

Continued...

I then shared my personal experiences. I gave them a choice of three experiences to choose, which I had written down, (1) Dealing with school racists, (2) Being approached by the drunken tramp at McDonalds, and (3) Dealing with an ignorant security guard in the library. All the students choose option 2 for me to talk about.

Here is the story:

“In my first year at University, it was summer time and I was revising. I felt like drinking milkshake. So I thought I would pop by to the McDonalds at the Waterloo station (I dread the thought of going to McDonalds now!). As I passed the station I saw a DRUNKEN TRAMP, which is always there and usually shouts VERBAL ABUSE at passers by. I tried to ignore him and walkked passed but he caught a glimpse of me and started to shout “Oih mate! Come here”. I thought, “I just want a hassle-free strawberry milkshake” so I walked around to other entrance of McDonalds.

I thought I was free from the drunken tramp. I was standing in the queue and looked to side to find that the drunken Irish tramp was standing next to me STARING at me. He was looking in a rough state and was holding a beer can. He said, “SHAKE MY HAND.” I felt uncomfortable to shake his hands because I sensed he wanted to do something sinister, perhaps spill his beer can on me. I just smiled and waved 'hello' to him.

He then began to get AGGRESSIVE and started shouting. By this point the whole of McDonalds is staring at the tramp and me. He began shouting “I came to this country and look at me, how come you come from abroad but have everything.” He sounded jealous and angry at why foreigners have homes, clothes and jobs and he is a tramp. In a way I felt sorry for him and felt that he had problems, which he needed to get off his chest, but at the same time I didn’t want to give him a counselling session as I had just come to get a strawberry milkshake. I just kept smiling and trying to remain unbothered by the man.

He then started shouting, “I have a KNIFE. I am going to STAB YOU. I am going to KILL YOU.” At this point I am thinking, “Ermm… My smiling is not getting me far.” Everyone could hear him but everyone instead just stared and watched while munching their burgers (they probably thought its free entertainment). I then said to him calmly and politely with a smile on my face, “MAY GOD BLESS YOU.” As soon as I said that he FLIPPED and started SCREAMING and shouting. Well it was more like GROWLING. He couldn’t accept that I was unbothered by his aggression and that he said he is going to kill me and instead I replied, “May God bless you.” Eventually the Manager came out and asked the man to leave before he calls the police.

I explained the concept of a ROSE to explain how Guru jee see's humanity. I asked them, "which flower is usually given to one's partner or mother to show one's love?" They replied "ROSES". Then I asked, can someone please describe the physical features of a Rose? Everyone pointed out that the beautiful rose has THORNS:

"A rose plant is used to show love through it beautiful PETALS but it also grows THORNS. Touching thorns when can bleed or prick themselves.

If I were to say "Roses are full thorns, they are dangerous and they are ugly" then I would be doing injustice to the Rose as I am denying it of its beauty. Similarly to believe or to say someone is bad through and through is denying the fact that the Divine is within that person.

Some people have more thorns than others, and therefore one wisely chooses to not associate oneself with that person and keep their distance. However still, every single person has beauty within, even if it is a small amount or very minute. When you start seeing everyone has a rose, you realise that people have negative points but positives also, then the world view changes. How you approach your enemies and friends and general public changes. This is how the Divine Mystics, the Gurus, see the world.

To end with I used a quote from the Bible to explain the Guru's Wisdom of being in a state of "ChaRdi Kalaa" (High Spirits).

Matthew 5:39 says:
“But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

What does turn the other cheek mean?
* Let others trample over you?
* Never fight back?
* Keep quiet to injustice?

Make your PYSCHE and INTERNAL SYSTEM so strong that when someone strikes you with negativity, that you do not fall down but instead you are become so strong that you can turn you other cheek PENETRATE it and still into the face of the aggressor.

The feedback from the students was good. They enjoyed learning Sikh philosophy with the examples from Sikh history, relating to everyday life.

Sixth Form RE Day Talk (Part 1)

Yesterday I was invited to do a talk at my old Sixth Form College at their annual RE Day for students aged 17. The theme of the RE Day was “DEALING WITH LIFE.” The teacher rang me a few days before the event and told me to take class and cover the topic “How to deal with troubled people.” A Christian guest speaker was given the topic of “How to deal with Business” in relation to Christian ethics. And a Muslim lady who works with the school and another teacher together covered the topic of “Segregation and Apartheid” looking at South Africa and Palestine.

It was a bit weird going back to my old school. As usual the children walking to their classes were staring at me. I just smiled and walked on. I was given a classroom and my laptop was hooked up to the projector. There were three groups, which were divided amongst the three different classes. So the groups rotated around the different classes. The group size was about twenty or slightly more students, which were all Gore (apart from one Pakistani Muslim girl in one the groups). All three groups of students, which I took, were well behaved, paid attention and showed interest.

All apart from one of the groups didn’t know who Sikhs were, what is Sikhi and why I am wearing a Kirpaan and Dastaar. So, I began with introducing myself and then introducing Sikhi by explaining the basics and going through the Kakkaars (Articles of Faith), as some students looked bit startled looking at my Kirpaan. The introduction to Sikhi was the same as I gave the Inter-Faith event, which I wrote about in the end of May, so you can read about that here.

The main presentation was divided into three sections. Firstly, using examples from the lives of the Sikh Gurus of how to deal and respond to troubled people; Secondly, reflecting on some personal experiences; and then to end with, the students could discuss what they felt and share their experiences with troubled people.

Below is a summary of my talk/class:

“Put your hand up if you have ever faced trouble in your life? Put your hand up if you have ever faced problems in your life? You will find that everyone in the world, from the greatest man to the smallest man, holiest man to the normal person, all face problems and troubles. However, what makes the difference between a successful person and a failure person is how they DEAL with their problems. The successful person overcomes their problems and troubles. They use their stumbling blocks as their building blocks. However, the failure person in life DROWNS in their problems. They weap, wail, cry and moan and SINK in their troubles. You have a choice whether to sink in life or whether to be successful in life. The choice is yours.”

I then went through several very short Saakhis (stories) from the Guru Sahibs lives and how the students would have responded to the troubled people Guru jee faced and then share with them how Guru jee actually responded:

The third Guru, and the behaviour of Bhai Datu Jee
When Guru Amar Daas Sahib Ji became Guru, out of rage and jeaolsy the son of the Second Guru kicked the elderly Guru Sahib. How did the Guru respond? The Guru grabbed Bhai Datu Jee’s foot and said “I hope my hard bones have not hurt you.” Guru Jee’s sweetness and humility were a slap in the face of Bhai Datu Ji and he fell at the feet of the Guru.

Baba Sri Chand Jee meeting the Fourth Guru

The elder son of Guru Nanak Sahib Jee went to Amritsar to visit Guru Raam Daas Sahib Jee, the fourth heir to the throne of Guru Nanak Sahib Jee. Baba Sri Chand Jee tried to belittle and laugh at the Guru. He said, “O Raam Daas! Why is your beard so long?” The Guru replied “I have a long beard to wipe the feet of holy men like you.” The Guru Sahib’s humility hit Baba Sri Chand Jee who feel at the feet of Guru Sahib and he said; “Now I know why I didn’t become chosen to be Guru and instead you are sitting on my father’s throne.”

The Sixth Guru becoming friends with Jahangeer

Jahangeer was the one who gave orders for the torture and martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Jee, however later on Guru Hargobind Jee becomes Jahangeer’s friend and goes hunting with him. How is this possible? Someone has killed your father and how can you go hunting with them? It is because the Jahangeer made a GENUINE APOLOGY. No one is perfect. Jahangeer repented and asked forgiveness. The Guru forgave him, showing that if someone makes a genuine apology (not just saying “sorry”) then one should forgive and move on. At the same time Guru Sahib responded to Guru Arjan Dev Jee’s Shaheedi by embracing weapons and using the Shaheedi as a turning point for Sikhs to become armed with weapons.

The Tenth Guru and Aurangzeb

Guru Gobind Singh Jee’s father, two elder sons aged 15 and 17, two younger sons aged 5 and 7, and his elderly mother was martyred under the reign of Aurangzeb. How would we react if our family is murdered and killed? Become enraged? Try to commit suicide? Become depressed? However, the Guru remained in high spirits and wrote the ‘Zafarnama’, the 'LETTER OF VICTORY'.

In this letter Aurangzeb was complimented, but then his evil acts were presented and how in the name of religion he murdered people, in the name of God he tortured and martyred a 5 and 7 year old etc. And at the end he wrote, “Even though you have done all this, I bear no enmity for you as a person. It is your acts which are evil.” Just by reading this Aurangzeb was hit with the SIMPLE TRUTH and he perished in shock. Sometimes wise parents sit naughty children down and explain “You have done x, y or z, and as a result of this you have caused pain. You have done x, y, and z and the consequence of this is….” The child is calmly told what he has done wrong without judgment and the child is made to realise his wrongdoings and usually ends up crying, repenting and saying “I’m sorry.”


When Guru Gobind Singh Jee fought in battles, he would spray the aggressors with arrows. These arrows would be coated with GOLD. Why do this? It is so that the wounded soldier could use the gold-coated arrowed tip for MEDICATION if he survived or if he perished his family could use it for his LAST RITES. This illustrated that even in war Guru Sahib said that no one is his enemy, no one is evil, it is the PERVERSION OF THE MIND which is evil, it is the act which is evil.


What Do We Learn?
The Sikh Gurus showed that each situation requires a UNIQUE RESPONSE depending on the circumstances. For this one needs an INTUITIVE SENSE and needs to be SELF-AWARE and have awareness of the surroundings and situation. The unwise person will fall in the trap of ACTION followed by simultaneous REACTION. For example, someone slaps you so you unthinkably slap back. The wise person stops, thinks and uses INNOVATIVE WAYS of dealing with troubled people which requires self-awareness and awareness of one's surroundings, which can be achieved through MEDITATION and learning from WISDOM (i.e. Guru Sahib).

To be continued...

Giving out Siropas Nilly Willy

Once I was invited to a Gurdwara Sahib to do Keertan and Granthi seva because the usual Granthi was unable to attend. The Langar seva was from a family who were celebrating their son's birthday. When I was invited to do Keertan and Granthi seva I was told that the son who's birthday it is, is not interested in coming to the Gurdwara and not interested in Gurmat. Therefore, I was told to speak English as well as Panjabi when explaining the Shabads and doing Katha.

While I had tea the Sangat read Sukhmani Sahib. Afterwards Daas did Keertan. While doing Keertan I glanced at the Sangat and saw the boy who's birthday it was, he was in his 20s. He was looking here, there, and everywhere and looked bored! Even when explaining the Shabads and sharing Saakhis (narratives) in English he still looked disinterested and gave vibrations of feeling uncomfortable in being in the Saadh Sangat, like he had somewhere else better to go. In a way I felt sorry for him and in my mind did Ardaas that Guru Sahib do Kirpaa on him that he gets Anand (bliss) from Gurbaani.

At the end of the programme Ardaas was done, followed by the Hukamnama. I was then called up to the stage. I stood up and was asked to present a Siropa to the family, as usually the Granthi Singh presents the Siropa and this week I was the Granthi Singh. My mind was not thinking and everything happened very quickly. The family came up to the stage. The father and son both had a clean-shaven face with their God-given appearance disfigured. I was asked to give the Siropa to the son; everything happened at the spur of the moment that without thinking I gave the son a Siropa. Afterwards I sat down and a guilty feeling sunk into my heart.

"O mind, what have you done? Did you not see that the son doesn't care about Guru Sahib, he wasn't interested in the Keertan, and didn't want to even be there? The father had woken up in the morning and dishonoured his hair before coming to the Gurdwara. What act have they done which is so worth-praising with a Siropa?" I realized that I should have refused to give a Siropa to the family and instead should have equipped myself with some inspirational Gurmat books and presented them to the son. Firstly, it still shows a token of appreciation for the family taking a step towards Guru jee by doing Langar Di Seva, and secondly, the son could read the book and at least learn something more about the Guru's Path. Afterwards I did Ardaas to Guru Sahib to forgive me for giving a Siropa to someone who had dishonoured their Kesh and not Amritdhari, and that in future I will not give Siropa to anyone who does not observe basic Rehit and commits any of the Bajjar Kurehits (four transgressions).

The 'Siropa', also known as 'Sirpao' is the 'Sikh robe of honour.' According to Bhai Kahn Singh Ji Nabha, the Siropa symbolises a physical robe worn from head to feet, it epitomises an absolute honour. In Sikhi, the Siropa is considered the highest award for one's temporal as well as spiritual efforts (seva).

Gurbaani says:

ਸੁਣੀ ਪੁਕਾਰ ਸਮਰਥ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਬੰਧਨ ਕਾਟਿ ਸਵਾਰੇ ॥
suNee pukaar samrath su-aamee banDhan kaatt savaare.
The Almighty Lord and Master heard my prayer; cutting away my bonds, He has adorned me.

ਪਹਿਰਿ ਸਿਰਪਾਉ ਸੇਵਕ ਜਨ ਮੇਲੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਪਹਾਰੇ ॥੨॥੨੯॥੯੩॥
pehir sirpaa-o sevak jan mele naanak pragatt pahaare. ||2||29||93||
He dressed me in a 'Sirpao', robes of honor, and blended His servant with Himself; Nanak is revealed in glory throughout the world. ||2||29||93||
(Ang 631)

To the ones receiving the robes of honour by false pretences, Gurbaani clearly says:

ਸਾਕਤ ਸਿਰਪਾਉ ਰੇਸਮੀ ਪਹਿਰਤ ਪਤਿ ਖੋਈ ॥੩॥
saakat sirpaa-o reshmee pehirat pat kho-ee. ||3||
But by putting on the Sirpao, silk clothes, of the faithless cynic, one loses one's honor. ||3||
(Ang 811).

A Siropa is placed around the neck, but is intended to be worn on the head as a Dastaar (turban). From the name "Siropa", the word "Sir" means "head", illustrating that the Siropa is meant to be worn as a Dastaar however is usually placed around the neck when it is being presented to a person. Sri Guru Amar Daas Sahib Jee used to receive a Siropa every year from Sri Guru Angad Dev Jee (in total eight) and it is said he would wear it on his head every day.

Unfortunately, the tradition of the Siropa has been watered down, like most other things, and has lost its original intended value and importance. In the army, only a person who has achieved something remarkable receives an award medal. However, someone who is wearing a tattered army uniform, looking like a mess or not complying with the army discipline, does not qualify to receive the reward. An army award medal will only be awarded to someone who shows an act worth praising, is dressed in full uniform and practices strict discipline. However, in Sikhi today, someone who has disfigured their God-given appearance, doesn't keep basic Rehit (discipline), hasn't committed themself to the Guru (through taking Amrit) are being given Siropas without a thought.

Some possible ideas of books to give as gifts (Click here for more info these books):

Nowadays anyone and everyone are presented Siropas, which have become part of a business. Someone pays to do an Akhand Paath and on the Sunday on the completion of the Akhand Paath they receive a Siropa regardless of whether they listened to the Paath, did Seva or whether the night before the person had been drinking alcohol. I even know of cases of Atheists, smokers and those who don't believe in Satguru Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee receiving Siropas from Gurdwara Committees in order to have some photo shots and come impress others.

Perhaps we need to reserve the gift of presenting a Siropa for special cases when someone has done special Seva for the Panth and humanity and the Sangat wishes to recognize their efforts. Instead we need to think of alternative ways of showing appreciation and given a token gift to people. Presenting inspirational Gurmat Books as gifts are a great way for showing appreciation and at the same time it's an excuse for someone to have the opportunity to learn about GurSikhi. Even if the person doesn't read the book there and then and instead leaves it lying on their bookshelf. Perhaps one day, they will be browsing or dusting their bookshelf and think "O yeah, I remember receiving this book, I wonder what's it about" and start reading.

Words of Wisdom from Mother Teresa

A nice article from the Literature section of the AKJ (UK) website:

Anyway
By Mother Teresa



People are often:
unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind:
people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends
and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
others may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

- Mother Teresa

ਭੈ ਕੇ ਚਰਣ ਕਰ ਭਾਵ ਕੇ ਲੋਇਣ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥
bhai ke charaN kar bhaav ke lo-eN surat kare-e.
Let the Fear of God be your feet, and let His Love be your hands; let His Understanding be your eyes.

ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹੈ ਸਿਆਣੀਏ ਇਵ ਕੰਤ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
naanak kehai si-aaNee-e ev kant milaavaa ho-e. ||2||
Says Nanak, in this way, O wise soul-bride, you shall be united with your Husband Lord. ||2||
(Ang 139)